Evigia
Systems and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory
announced that they have finalized a licensing agreement under which Argonne’s
patented, application-specific radio-frequency identification (RFID)
sensor/seal technology and its custom-developed ARG-US software suite will be
further developed and marketed by Evigia as a comprehensive nuclear and
hazardous material handling solution.

The
system, jointly developed by Evigia and Argonne, adds sophisticated sensing,
monitoring, and communication capabilities directly to drum-type packages,
using affixed battery-powered RFID tags that combine a full range of sensors,
onboard memory, and secure wireless communications (based on the ISO18000-7
international standard). Argonne’s ARG-US tags are based on Evigia’s EV3
wireless sensor platform and offer real-time, continuous monitoring of
tampering and seal breakage; physical shock; temperature/humidity; radiation level;
battery status; and identification, alarm, and detailed data logging functions.

The ARG?US RFID system provides
continuous, near-real-time tracking and monitoring of the status of packages
during transport, in-transit stops and storage. The system integrates ARG-US
RFID tags, interrogators, control computers, software, a database, and
satellite and cellular-based communications.

The licensing agreement between
Evigia and Argonne highlights the value of ARG?US technology to industry. “Our
initial goal was to develop RFID tags to support DOE in reducing operating
costs, modernizing its management of the life-cycle of nuclear materials and
enhancing safety, safeguards and security for years to come,” said Yung Liu, a
senior nuclear engineer at Argonne. “However, the need for ARG-US
technology has grown beyond the initial application as a result of demonstrated
performance, ongoing development and industry recognition of the technology’s value
in the broader market. Our licensing agreement with Evigia will facilitate
technology transfer to the marketplace, one of the key goals of the DOE
national laboratories encouraged by Energy Secretary Chu.”

According to Navid Yazdi, president
of Evigia, the agreement “enables us to immediately enter new markets with the
Evigia EV-3 platform and Argonne’s ARG-US technology and deliver a complete,
readily deployable wireless sensing solution for these vitally important
nuclear material transportation and storage operations.”

Source: Argonne National Laboratory